Not looking back
by KanisRussell
Summary: As long as Max could remember, there was only one thing he ever craved... Peace. With nothing else holding him back, he figures that the only good thing to do, would be to go somewhere peaceful and live out whatever life is left for him. Too bad Boston is anything but peaceful.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey there!**

 **This is a new story from me! I have been wanting to create a Mad Max/Fallout crossover for quite some time now. With the help of a few other writers, I managed to bring this first chapter to life. I hope you all enjoy it!**

 **Please review the story, and give some feedback on it all.**

 **For notice: The fallout in question is going to be Fallout 4, but I'll let the story speak for itself**

Everyone thought the collapse would be quick, that it would be over before it really began. And then, the world would be in ruins, nothing left to miss, only thing left to do would be survival. Maybe that was the case somewhere else, but not here. Max vaguely remembers the events leading up to it all. It wasn't quick, and it wasn't pretty.

In his childhood, everything was normal. There was nothing out of the ordinary, he even remembers a few siblings. But, their names are forgotten to time. He remembered the Oil wars, it happened somewhere else, not here. The television showed oil fields on fire. Max remembered people panicking in the streets. Riots breaking out. The government trying to keep control.

Oil became sacred, it was the lifeblood of the world. The Main Force Patrol was supposed to keep control, that's why Max signed up. A feeling he always had, a feeling of protection towards the weak. The death of his wife and son was a turning point for him. A realization that the world truly was changing. Then, soon after, the bombs fell. The earth became sour, the oceans pulled back. Everything except death was a luxury. Whether it was God's doing or Humans' doings, was beyond Max's understanding.

Over the years, Max resigned himself. Only things he cared about was himself and his car. Yet, several times his trusted walls broke down. He allowed himself to care about things that could never be. That's why he left the Citadel, Furiosa and the wives behind. His contract was over, he helped them. No reason to stay around and watch it fall apart in due time.

He backtracked as long as he needed to. He looked for the one thing that kept him going for so many years. When he found it, he almost wished it hadn't. The Interceptor, or the Razer Cola as it was now called, was anything but a functional car. It was torched, the crisp corpse of Slit still inside.

Luckily, the place was a graveyard for car parts. The giant battle that only so few will ever remember, would at least become of some use to Max. It took him several weeks to rebuild. He even gave Nux a proper funeral. It was the least he could do.

It wasn't what it used to be. The chrome finish left a lot to be desired. But at least most things were there. He scavenged everything he could. He even ditched the new army boots he had taken from the bullet farmer and returned to his MFP boots. Whether or not it was useful was not a discussion he wanted to have with himself.

Then, when he put on the final touches on the car, a question dawned on him. What now? _Peace_ was the only thing nagging at the back of mind. When he looking over the salt ground, where there once was a great ocean. Waves crashing on the shores, giant metal ships traveling it. His mind settled on what he always wanted.

Peace.

He warned his allies of what lied ahead. He had told himself the fact several times. But, he realized something as he looked on. There could be two things lying ahead. Salvation or death, and at this point, either option sounded great. Sometimes he wonder if it was a punishment from God, or the Gods, or whatever higher being was in office. Being doomed to walk the same path, unable to die. Just relive the same situation, but with different actors.

He was probably better off alone. Fending for himself. There was no light at the end of this tunnel, only more death, either directly or indirectly done by him. He spent close to a week just thinking, all while stocking up on the important things, like gas and ammo. He even found his old sawn off.

Then, he made the decision. The only justification was, "Why not?". He was at a crossroad, he drove out. Whether or not he would make it, would be a small bet with himself. Perhaps... Perhaps he would really find that peace.

He drove for days, only stopping to drink or eat from his stockpile. He saw the same thing for days, and it began to drive him to madness again. His time with Furiosa and the wives had given him some sanity back, but that was a mighty short supply. He didn't care. He was out here for a reason, finding peace. If that would be what killed him, then he would say it was worth it.

That was until he saw something remarkable. Water, and so much of it. It was so far off what used to be the coastline he thought he might be seeing stuff. He blinked several times before getting out of his car and running towards it. Indulging his own urge to drink it all up, he threw his head down under.

As soon as he tried to drink it down, he coughed it up just as quickly. He remembered. "Salt water" He said to himself, reminding himself of the days it was still here. But one thing was true, it was real. Now begged the question how the hell he was supposed to get past it. His mind already racing with ideas. He was certain that whatever was on the other side, was the peace he had spent years looking for.

For the longest time, he sat on the shore line and thought deeply about what should happen next. He loved his interceptor to hell and back, but even the last of the V8's was no match for an ocean. No, he needed a new plan. Ideas came, some good and some bad. Best one was Pink Eye's mission for her young ones. Send them out with a homemade boat, complete with a sail.

Whatever happened to them? Somewhere, deep down in his soul, he hoped they found what they were seeked. Another part told him chances were good that they were dead, and another one told him not to think about it. It was a job, not his idea.

Since he knew he couldn't swim there, and that the black on black would sink like a rock, he decided to scout a bit. His binoculars could only see so far, and not enough to see the other side. Where ever that was. He then scanned up and down the shore line, until he came upon something.

There was black smoke in the distance. It was faint, but is was there. It seemed to be to the north. Max quickly decided not to waste any time and jumped back in the interceptor. Black smoke puffed out the side pipes.

The trip wasn't long, but it felt long. This could be the last long mile for Max. If they had a way to go over the ocean, he would be home safe. Of course, that was probably wishful thinking. Didn't matter to Max, if there was a chance, however small, he would take it.

How old was he anyway? He had stopped counting a long time ago, and at some point he forgot how long a year was anyway. For all he knew, the collapse happened 10 years ago, or 100 years ago. Did it matter? What was the use in crying over the things lost, and how long he had gone without them.

He got closer to what appeared to be a pretty decent sized settlement. There was a big sign at the edge of the settlement. It read:

 **WELCOME TO NEW HOPE!**

The settlement appeared to have been created out of an old oil tanker. It's hull was rusty, but otherwise intact. They appeared to have tried to paint it over. Do something to make it look nice. Small makeshift houses were made out of wood, a rare material. Max was in awe at what he saw. The outline was a lot like Gutgash's stronghold, but improved in every sense of the word. It might even give the Citadel a run for its money.

He pulled up to the gate, hoping that they would let him in. The guards seemed to be dressed in what appeared to be old industrial/chemical suits, coupled with some military gear. Must have been the uniforms from the tanker, passed down with each generation. One of them held up his hand for him to stop.

"Turn off the engine!" He yelled as he slowly approached. A few guards pointed their gun at Max from their place on the wall. They were uneasy with this stranger. It was clear that strangers hardly ever came through, at least by land.

Max did as requested. He didn't get this far just to die by the hands of a trigger happy guard. The black smoke ceased coming from the side pipes. The roar of the engine died down.

"What's your business here, stranger?" The guard asked while still keeping his rifle pointed at Max. Max raised his hands to show he meant no harm. But it would probably take more than that to satisfy them.

"I seek to cross the big ocean." Max remarked as he gestured to the still water, seeming so calm... Almost calling to him.

The guard looked up to his comrades. Giving them a gesture to lower their guns. "And how do you expect to do that?" The guard asked while laughing a bit. His buddies jumped in and laughed with him.

"I was... hoping... You could help." Max said, not much above a whisper. His hopes almost being shattered.

The guard's laughter began to die down and he looked more serious now. "Maybe we can, stranger. But not for free." The guard replied.

"What do you need?" Max asked.

"That's not for me to say. Go see the captain." The guard answered. "Let him through boys!" He yelled to the other guards. "And don't try anything. We won't hesitate to put you down." He said as a last note to Max.

Max drove his car slowly through the compound, and found a place to park it. He had to be quick about this. These people weren't used to seeing cars around. Some were already eyeing his black on black.

Now, he needed to find the captain. The entire thing was based out of an old oil tanker. It was huge, but it was broken up several places. Best bet would be that the captain is at the bridge. That's where the captain usually was... Right? God, it was hard to remember anything from the old world. He had trouble remembering certain things.

"Nice car. How much?" A man came up and asked. He looked much like a trader, he was getting ready to show Max what he had to offer him.

"She is not for sale." Max bluntly out and walked past him.

"You would be a fool not to sell it!" The trader yelled after Max.

It took some time to find the way up. It was a maze of corridors, and there were a lot of guards. This was a strong settlement. No doubt about it. Max knew he should try and keep himself in good grace with them.

The bridge had been converted into a office for the Captain. It wasn't pretty or well cleaned, but no things in the wasteland were. The supposed Captain had his feet kicked up on his desk. It seemed he was lightly sleeping. Max shook his foot a bit, waking the captain up.

"And who might you be?" He asked as he rubbed his eyes. The captain had an unruly bushy beard like Max. Expect the captain's hair was more blondish. His uniform seemed to be an old uniform that had been fixed multiple times during its lifetime.

"I'm looking to cross the ocean." Max said.

"Is that so? What's your name?" The captain asked as he straighten up in his seat.

Max thought long and hard about giving his name to him. What would be the purpose? Give them his name so they could scream it out loud when they were in need of help? Fuck it, he would be out of here soon enough,

"Max... My name is Max." Max finally said.

"Well... Max... First up, where do you want to go? Crossing the ocean can lead you to many places." The captain replied.

"Somewhere... Peaceful." Max added.

"Peaceful? Are you running from something? Do we need to worry about some war parties coming knocking?" The captain asked while raising a curious eyebrow.

"No... There are no loose ends. I just need... peace." Max continued.

"Well... Max. We can get you across the ocean, but we don't do it for free." The captain said.

"A favor for a favor." Max suggested.

"You read my mind." The captain replied.

"What do you need?" Max asked.

"A month ago, my daughter was kidnapped by raiders. They live about... 15 miles up the coast. I have sent my men there several times, but it has already cost a few lives... Now, if a desperate man were to... Go get her, safe and sound. I could secure a trip to the other end." The captain suggested.

"One condition." Max started.

"What is it?" The captain jumped in and asked.

"I need the car with me." Max demanded.

The captain seemed lost in thought. Finally he spoke up: "Okay, if you can bring my daughter back in one breathing piece. Then I will transport both you, and that car of yours, across the ocean." The captain promised as he arose and offered his hand in a handshake.

Max looked at him, but finally accepted the gesture. The deal was sealed. Now... He needed to save another girl. Hopefully this one wouldn't end up dead, for both their sakes.


	2. Chapter 2: A simple deal?

_Max couldn't put his finger on what he was feeling. He would suspect it was something close to hope. A feeling that comes and visit him every so rarely. This time, it felt like real hope. He wasn't doing someone else's bidding... Well, maybe he was, but that was for his own good. This was his finally mission._

Of course, Max debated with himself regarding all the things that could go wrong. The worst part would be a dead girl on his hands. That would make it worse for him, and would ruin all of his chances with this settlement. No, he needed this to work. With that mindset, he walked back down to his car.

The trader still lingered around his black on black. No doubt ready to give him a very good offer for it... Or kill him and take it. It's not like anyone in here would mind, just another dead body to throw over the settlement walls.

That's why his hand was always clutched tightly around the grip of the sawn-off. He had to show he meant business to everyone. The trader, however, did not make any attempt at conversation once he reached his car. He seemed to be... Studying Max. That could not be a good sign. Max opened his door, but before he could sit himself down in the driver seat, a voice creeped out from the shadows.

"So I hear you are doing the Captain a favor. You're either brave, desperate or dumb. Maybe a combination." He said as he came out of the light. He wore the same outfit as most of the guards.

Max snugged before sitting down in the driver's seat and relaxing.

"You do realize driving up to the front gate of their base will get you killed, right?" The man asked.

"What does it matter to you?" Max asked back in a tried voice.

"Hmmmm... It doesn't matter. Kill yourself that way for all I care. But, a word of advice. That base is built like a fortress, there is at least 50 bandits inside, and they are excellent marksmen. Best chance of success would be to go in the darkest hour." The man explained.

"... The darkest hour." Max repeated, mostly to himself.

"And that sawn off is only going to get you into trouble. Get something more... Quiet." The man said as a final note. He was gone in a blink of an eye. Max realized he was probably right. Max could hold himself in a fight, but going up against a platoon of raiders was nothing short of suicide.

He couldn't risk that now, not when he had a chance. He stepped out of the car and approached the trader. He only hoped the man wouldn't request the car in return.

"Ahh, the raggedy man returns. Have you changed your mind?" The trader asked with probably the biggest smirk in the wasteland.

"I need a silent weapon." Max all but demanded.

"Is that so?" The trader chuckled, low and evil.

"How much?" Max asked.

"Oh, how the tables have turned!" The trader chuckled again. "Seeing as you won't part with your car, I want something else."

"What is it?" Max pressed on, he really wasn't in the mood for this shit.

"Not far from here, this is a grave from the times of old. Hidden treasure just waiting for their master. I want the riches, and I'll give you whatever weapon you want." The trader promised.

Of course, so many things needed to be done before he could do this shit. "Okay, point out where it is." Max agreed it. The faster he did it, the faster he could get moving.

The trader rubbed his hands together as he gave Max a makeshift map made on a piece of metal with some chalk. Max studied it as he planned this out in his mind. He put the map in the car. First thing first, get the riches from the tomb, then, get the girl.

He turned on his car. He relaxed at the roar from the supercharged V8. He left a cloud of smoke in his wake as he drove out of the settlement. The tomb was perhaps... 15 miles to the west. He shifted into a higher gear as he drove on.

* * *

It was another ship, though much smaller. If he had to guess, it appeared to be a... What the hell were they called? His mind had seemed to forgotten much of the old world. Didn't matter, it was a small vessel, probably used for travelling cargo for shorter distances.

It would appear he wasn't the only one here for what was buried beneath. Several makeshift cars were parked outside. It could be the previous people trying their luck, or the last people the trader sent out. Didn't matter, he would go in, get the stuff, go out.

Everything looked normal on the outside. The vessel had been turned on the side, its rusty hull looked ready to collapse at any moment Max knew he had to be quick, so he turned on his flashlight and went in.

The wind bashed against the hull, creating haunting sounds within the old vessel. His flashlight only had so much power before it would die out. So, one more reason to be quick about it. He found the bodies of what he presumed to be the owners of the cars outside. Only thing was... They had been brutally murdered. Their bodies hung from the ceiling, their blood smeared across the walls.

Either someone had already grabbed the loot and killed these fellas... Or there was something here protecting said loot. Neither option sounded good to Max. He hurried forward, being mindful of any possible traps lying around. His careful steps, he moved deeper into the vessel. There in the midst of the cargo hold, was the thing the trader had been talking about: Food, maps, clothes and what appeared to be blueprints.

He was about to snatch the things, when he heard a big growl behind him. He turned around and saw what looked like a... Big green man? What? He was more confused than he was scared. His hands instantly found its way to the grip of the sawn off sitting neatly in his thigh holster.

"Dumb human thinks he can steal from me!" It yelled.

"Easy fella..." He tried to use a more calm voice, similar to calming an animal. "I'm not looking for a brawl." He could, however, clearly see that this... thing, was more or less looking for a fight.

"You touch my stuff, you die!" The big green thing cried out and lunged out after Max. With a quick roll to the side, Max was able to escape death. He pulled out his shotgun and quickly fired it at the monster. It took the hand clean off the creature. It grunted and let out a small scream at this sudden amputation.

It charged Max again, but after being in so many fights over the years, Max was quick on his feet. Max pulled out his knife and jumped on the back of the monster. He kept on stabbing the skull of the creature, hoping the old saying of 'If it can bleed, you can kill it' still applied. He kept repeating the same notion as the monster tried it's hardest to shake him off.

Finally, it fell down. Max wanted to be sure, and bashed it's skull in with his boot. After Scrotus, Max didn't take any chances. He had to catch his breath before he could go any further. He sat down beside the dead body, blood still spilling out of its head.

He reloaded the sawn-off with some of the last shells he had for it. He slowly stood up as he had calmed down a bit. He placed the sawn off back in the leather thigh holster and began to gather all the things into a bag. He saved a few things for himself, things that might come in useful at a later point.

He came back out of the den just as his flashlight died out. Lucky might have been a word for it, but Max hadn't considered himself lucky in a long time. In fact, unfortunate seemed to favor this Australian. He climbed back into his black on black and drifted off back to the settlement.

* * *

He pulled back in just as night was threating to come back and shallow the sky in its darkness. Max figured if he was quick with dealing with the trader, he could go and save the girl before dawn. He pulled out the bag with the things from the boot of the car and walked over to the trader, who seemed to be busy tinkering with a weapon.

Max threw the bag at his feet. "Weapons, now." Mads demanded with a cold voice. The trader slowly pulled the bag up and took a look inside.

"Impressive." He said after looking over each and every thing. "Was it tough?" He asked.

"There was a monster there. It's dead now." Max replied, lightly tapping his foot on the floor, a silent motion to get going.

"Fascinating, simply fascinating." The trader remarked as he took a closer look at the blueprints. A light smirk creeped up on the trader's lips.

"Weapons." Max repeated.

"Ah, yes. You held up your end, allow me to do my part." the trader said as he went over and open a shelf. It showed a wide range of weapons. Max studied them in details. He needed the right weapon; the entire mission might depend on it.

"Pick what you fancy." The trader said as he lingered to the side. Allowing Max to take a closer look. There were rifles, Pistols, Melee weapons and crossbows. The words of that guard staying in the back of his mind. It needed to be quiet, and with a crossbow he would be able to conserve ammo way better than with a firearm.

Max picked it out, as well as some bolts for it. The trader nodded in affirmation. It was probably a good deal for the trader as well. Didn't matter, now he had the means. Max walked over to his car with his new weapon in his hands and climbed into the car. He once again speeded out the settlement and back into the wasteland.

* * *

It took him quite some time to actually find where the bandit base was. When he did find it, he knew instantly that the guard had a very good point. It was a very tightly sealed place. It looked a lot like a war boy strong hold, but with a more... Feral twist. More makeshift items.

Max observed it for a while, looking for a good opening. A lot of strongholds looked tough from the outside, but they always had a weakness. Another thing learned from being in the wasteland for so long. God... He really needed that peace.

He found it. The weakness. It came in the form of a ledge that was just low enough for him to jump it and get inside. The black on black would make too much noise if he drove right up to it, so he parked it behind some big rocks, in the hopes no one would locate it.

He moved with the shadows, careful to not be spotted by the floodlight that was operated by some tired bandit. He finally reached the wall, and climbed the small distance. He went over to the bandit operating it and quickly snapped the neck of the man. He quickly threw the man overboard and saw the body land harshly on the ground. He turned his attention to the camp.

It was only lightly dimmed by oil lamps scattered around. Not a lot of people were up at this moment, a perfect opportunity indeed. He sneaked down from the wall, making sure not to shift the sand too much or kick something over. The last thing he needed was 50 people going medieval on him.

Still keeping himself light on his feet, he sneaked through the camp. There was what looked like a big shack. He realized that it must be the boss' hideout, and he would probably keep the girl there. The bandit that was supposed to keep watch on the door was sleeping in a makeshift chair. Max cut his throat before he could make any noise.

Max lightly opened the door, making sure it didn't make any sound as he entered the building. It too was lightly dimmed by oil lamps hanging on the walls. He moved through the building, searching endlessly for the girl. Just as he was about to give up his search, he heard a whimper from below. It was quiet, and if Max's senses hadn't been raised from all this time in the wasteland, he might have missed it.

He searched high and low for the basement, but he couldn't find it. He was half tempted to blow a hole in the floor and jump down, but he quickly trashed that idea. He went upstairs, and found, who he thought to be, the boss sound asleep. Max searched the room for any clues, and was getting more and more desperate as the night would soon be over.

Just as he was about to give up and just set the whole place on fire, he noticed a small button behind a picture that had fallen down. Feeling as if he had nothing better to do, he pressed it. There was a hissing sound, and the heavy sound of something moving down stairs. He quickly killed the boss man as he began to open up his eyes.

Max hurried downstairs and saw the opening. A big shelf had moved to the side, the wall behind it had opened up. Max quickly went down, and saw the girl the instant his eyes adjusted to the darkness. She was bound to a pole in the middle of the room. She looked beat up; scars and bruises littered his otherwise innocent skin.

That old feeling of protection fired again inside him. He had seen this scene so many times over the course of his time inside the wasteland, but still. He quickly went over and untied her. She was barely clinging on to life as he cut the ropes from her wrist that had been bound over her head.

"W-who are -y-y-you?" She spoke. Her voice was raspy; she had probably been without water for days. He grabbed his Canteen and brought the tip unto her lips. She gulped it all down greedily.

"I'm here to... erh... Rescue you. Come." He replied, careful to not give his name.

Some strength found its way back into her body as Max carried her out. He was careful to go silently, and not trip the alarm, now that he had finally succeeded in his mission.

It was a long walk back to his black on black. He tugged her into the passenger seat and climbed into the driver's seat. She had fallen asleep in her seat, clinging on to his blanket that he had offered her, so she wouldn't be cold during the ride.

It took some time to get back, it was close to dawn when he pulled into New hope and parked the car. The captain was eagerly awaiting his return, and broke fully into tears when he saw his daughter for the first time in months. He ran over and pulled her in a hug. Max let them sort out this family reunion alone.

It took close to two hours before the captain had finally tugged his daughter into her room at the top of the ship. He went back to Max, who was tinkering with his shotgun.

"Nice work, you kept up your end. Now it's time for me to keep up mine." The captain said. He looked around before speaking up again. "You'll leave in two days. You are free to stay here until then. Once again, thank you." The captain said before leaving.

Max sat down in the driver seat and was pulled the sleep. He was really tired after all this shit, and really couldn't wait to finally find the peace. And the fact he brought the girl back safe and sound was a nice thought as well. Hopefully those voices wouldn't bother him too much this evening.


	3. Chapter 3: The Journey Never Ends

_**A couple of days later.**_

 **New Hope**

Max slowly awoke inside the black on black. His feet kicked up on the dashboard as his eyes slowly opened. Men hurried around the settlement, trying to get the last details in order with the ship. Max only noticed the captain standing in front of the car when he had stretched out inside the car.

"What do you want?" He asked coldly, his voice still raspy after sleeping and not being used regularly.

The captain looked at him, as he studied the car. "Our scouts checked out the bandit camp. You killed the leader." He finally said.

"So what?" Max asked as got out of the car and hushed for the captain to stand aside. Max then began to check the oil level in his car.

"We want to thank you… Again. Without their leader, they are unorganized. We can easily pick them off now. We want to show our gratitude." The captain mentioned for some men to come over. They carried jerrycans and placed it by the car.

"What's this?" He asked as he kicked one of them. It was full of something, and Max hoped it was fuel.

"Gasoline. For your ride." He replied. "And some bullets." He threw a small bag to Max, which Max caught in it in midair. Max searched through the bag and found it full of buck shots for his sawn-off. He quickly located the content to his ammo holsters around his vest and belt.

"Thank you." Max replied.

"No worries. You leave in a few hours. It might be good to load up your car now." The captain said, he turned around and was almost going to leave, before the stopped and turned around again.

"By the way. You do realize this is one way street. Right?" The captain asked.

Max didn't say anything as he finished up the check up on his car.

"We can't come and get you back. This will probably be one of our last trip across the big ocean."

"I don't plan on looking back." Max replied, while still keeping his eyes on the supercharged V8 in the hood of the car. The captain left after that.

After finishing the check up, Max walked out of the hull of the old tanker turned settlement and saw the small makeshift dock they had. Indeed, they were busy loading things into the ship; they were probably going to take the trip anyway, to trade with the other side.

Max drove the car outside of the garage and unto the dock. They used the some sort of crane, made out of an old truck, to lift the car from the dock onto the ship. It suddenly dawned on Max that this was it, his last long mile. He watched the people at work, as he drank some water from his canteen.

He didn't notice anyone stand next to him until they poked him on the shoulder. He turned around and saw the girl he rescued a couple of days ago, only now she looked a lot better now. She had probably been pulled from the brink of death by the doctors in the settlement.

"What do you want?" He asked as he buckled the canteen back on his belt.

"I wanted to-... Thank you, for saving me." She replied.

"Thank your father. I didn't do this for you." Max replied coldly as he turned his attention back to the ship.

"Still, I spent so long there. I didn't think anyone would come." She remarked as she joined him in watching the crew at work.

Max just shrugged, not bothering to answer it. Why should he? What could he say? He didn't want to get attached to anything before the left. No, that would just leave open wounds. Bad for his mind. Nothing but food for the voices. She seemed to get the memo; he wasn't in the mood for a chat. She left with a final thank you, before heading back to the oil tanker.

 _Leaving so soon?_

 _Are you just gonna walk away, after all you done?_

He should have known. He hadn't reached peace yet, the voices were still there. Maybe they always would, but if he could find a quiet place to settle down, maybe they wouldn't bother him anymore. ' _Wishful thinking'_ A small part of his brain said. A right on pipe dream.

"Are you ready?" A man asked from the ship. Max shook himself free of his thoughts and nodded to the man, before hopping down from the dock onto the ship. The men yelled something at each other, going on about the last details.

Someone had mentioned that they were sailing for America. His brain vaguely remembered it from back before the collapse. A place of hope and freedom. That's what the movies said. God, he hoped it was true. He hoped that it was... Peaceful. He nodded to them each time they asked if everything was okay. They showed him a map, they pointed to the coast of the nation that once was USA.

Sometimes, he had trouble reading. As if he had forgotten. It was the sort of thing you had to keep doing in order to always remember it. Still, he managed to read the lines that had been added by the New Hope settlers over the years.

NCR was written, apparently it stood for 'New Californian republic' A sort of civilization, or even state. The crew remarked that it wasn't all that safe, and that he probably wouldn't find peace there. If he had to drive a 1000 miles to find peace, he would do it. It was worth it. That's what he kept telling himself. It would be worth it.

With a piece of chalk, he marked the area known formerly as Boston. He would go there, and find a safe place to settle down. Start some... Farming? Or maybe he would hunt. He couldn't decide yet. They finally sailed away. His car safe in the hull of the ship, even as the waves crashed against it. He tried to sleep, but all the shaky movement of the ship made it hard. He was used to sleeping in the black on black. It did the job well.

The men on the ship tried to strike up conversation with him several times, but they were never met with a word from him. He didn't care for their thoughts, hopes or dreams. The sooner he was gone from his ship, the sooner he could start thinking straight again. He always preferred to be alone, especially since-... -Since his wife and son died. Since goose kicked the bucket... Since he let down so many people.

How many was it again? He had lost count. Could he even count anymore? It was going to be hard. He made a living being a road warrior. A nomad that didn't settle down for more than one night. That was going to change. His life was going to change.

 _Keep telling yourself that. Doesn't excuse all you have done._

 _Do you think you can keep running? Sooner or later, things will catch up._

"ENOUGH!" He yelled during the night and knocked his knuckles straight into the metal wall of the ship. No doubt waking up most people. He walked outside in the cold breeze of the ocean. He watched the moon, and it's reflection on the water. He calmed down and began to stroke his knuckles to ease the pain in them.

Yes, he needed that peace.

He once again was lost to his own thoughts when a man cried out "LAND!" from atop the bridge. Max quickly ran to the front of the ship, and saw lights in the distance. He smiled to himself. It had been at least 4 days at open sea before they had arrived at the new world. His new world. He had never left his native country as boy, or maybe he had, but couldn't remember. So many things had been lost to the wasteland. His memories most of all.

Didn't matter, here he wouldn't need them. Here, he could be free, once again. America. He remembered something, it was called... The American dream? He had read about it. Back in school, when he was a lad. Here, everything was possible. Everyone could succeed.

The sun was just returning from its sleep in the ground when the ship docked by, what was once a harbor. The crane on the ship lifted the car onto the dock as Max himself got off.

"Good luck fella. Hope you find that peace." he laughed like it was a joke. Max just sent a deadly stare his way. That shut up both him and his friends. He hoped he wouldn't see them again; he had bigger things to think about.

The NCR wasn't safe. He hadn't spent more than a few days in the new place, before the first bandits attempted to rob him of his car. He had been ready to go asleep after a day of driving in the dry wasteland. No different from where he came from. He had heard rumors. Things were better to the east. He would go there and see for himself.

Had Max not reacted as fast he did, they would have certainly overpowered him, and been off with his black on black. The first bandit was sent flying as Max fired his sawn off straight into his chest. Max broke the arm of the next bandit, who attempted to swing a metal pipe at him. He then broke his neck. Killing people was easy, especially after all the killing he has done. After killing two more, the rest backed off, and returned into the night.

The American dream was beginning to seem more like a nightmare at this point. He hoped that the east coast was as good as people said it was. Secure, and... Green. God, the last time he saw green was at the citadel, but only then, it was from down below. Green was a rare color these days, and so many people from the wasteland craved it, and were willing to kill for it.

When he passed the decaying border sign that read **WELCOME TO MASSACHUSETTS.** Underneath the sign, there was written something else. Max had stopped the black on black and climbed out to take a better look at the sign.

 _ **"By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty"**_

The only word that really stood out to him was _peace_. Here, he could be free from his past. Here, he could live again. Not fight some hopeless battle, not drive across the great wasteland, looking for the next meal or gas that carry him forward. Here, he could start anew.

However, Boston seemed as uninviting as anywhere else in this wasteland. People fighting everywhere he went. He looked far and wide for a peaceful place. He came to diamond city, after hearing of stories of the "great big green jewel of the commonwealth."

He quickly learned it wasn't for him. It wasn't peaceful, while no one really killed each other, there were too many people and they were too close for comfort. But, after scouting the market for new ammo for his weapons, he heard rumors of a place to the north. A place where no one was.

"It could be a promising settlement! I tell ya'!" One had told him, but no one knew much about it. Only the name. 'sanctuary'. Could it be redemption? He could be alone, start life in place where there was no one else, only himself. He liked the idea.

Getting there was not easy. Raiders were there every part of the way. It was hard to keep focus when you needed to look over your shoulder all the time. He had already gotten an impressive kill count for this new world. He protected what was his, didn't matter what they wanted, he wouldn't give it.

That's also why he never stopped for anything. He didn't slow down when someone was waving at him from the side of the road. It was bait for an ambush. They wouldn't fool him, not this time. Not when he was so close to his goal of peace.

For the first time in... Forever. He found something that seemed peaceful. Sanctuary, it was as such. He could, however, do without the annoying robot that kept asking him over for tea. But he learned to ignore it. The robot seemed to keep for itself for the most part. Trimming those dead bushes by the same house. Attempting to clean the lost cause that was once a car.

Max spent a long time fixing up a house by the end of the road. He boarded up the windows, sealed it off. He started a small garden behind the house, where he grew... Whatever it was he had found. He went hunting with his crossbow, which was really a blessing for hunting. Silent and deadly against the two headed animals.

In fact, he was more at peace now than ever. He could live with this. No raiders came here, it was off the map. He didn't have to worry about starving; there was more than enough food for him. The only thing that was bothering him, was that damn robot. What was his name? Codsworth? The robot kept trying to pretend everything was fine. That it was still the old world. Max liked to pretend that as well sometimes.

Not that it mattered. With a belly full of purified water from his makeshift pump, and the food he hunted, he could be happy. Except he wasn't. There was something missing, there was _always_ something missing. Like a picture that was incomplete. He tried to decorate the house, he tried to go on long trip and scavenge whatever he could find, but still, something was missing.

But this small feeling was better than driving around out there, and lost what little was left of sanity. Yes, this was better. That's why he was surprised when he saw it. He hadn't expected it, certainly not here.

A crying woman standing in his doorway. A gun tightly gripped in her hands, some sobbing words about a baby that had come missing. A blue jumpsuit and raven black hair completed with hazel eyes, still soaking in tears.

He didn't have time for this.

"Mind your own troubles! I haven't seen your boy. Get out!" That was all the kindness she could expect from him.


	4. Chapter 4: Sanctuary

Max had trouble settling in. The beginning was tough. Trading a life on the road for a life in one place was not easy for him. He sometimes thought back to his home, before the collapse and how everything was so… Perfect. He hoped, that in due time, this place could reach almost the same level of peace. He had parked his black on black in what used to be a garage. He had started a small farm behind the house. Not to mention he had done a lot to make the house feel more… homey.

The day had started like all others. He awoke in the early morning and stretched out. He would go out to the back of the house, scan the distance for any threats (An old habit of his) and slowly spend the morning tending to the fruits planted in the soil. He didn't care that his fingers were dirty with the earth; it was a nice change from the sand of the wasteland and the oil. He would sometimes even smile when he looked over his garden. Proud of his own achievement.

Once the sun was at its highest, he grabbed his crossbow and went hunting. He checked his traps, most of them were not too far from the house. Nothing was in them, a shame. He realized he needed to find something for dinner, so killing an animal was needed. That was one of the skills he had learned while he stayed here. Before, he would kill lizards with the heel of his boot and eat them raw. Now, he had learned the art of tracking and skinning the animal.

It was rare he saw another human being, but it did happen every now and then. Either some poor bastard was fighting some creatures, or someone was tracking his prey. He even killed a few who tried to steal his meat. A harsh reality, but no different from his time in the Australian wasteland. Sometimes, when he didn't catch anything, he wondered if he should feast on the dead bodies of the people he killed, but he decided against it. That wouldn't help smooth over the voices in his head.

Max had been tracked a Radstag for some time. He had found some tracks in the dirt, fresh ones too. With no catch in the traps, he figured it was worth trying to locate the animal. Get some food for tonight. It had taken him on quite a hike through the forest. He tried his best to follow the right tracks, but he wasn't a hunter by trade.

It was close to the end of the afternoon when he finally found it. It was sipping some water from a small pond. Max smiled to himself as he watched it slowly dip its two heads down to the water. He began to line up his shot with the crossbow. He calculated his breath to make it even. He aimed for the neck. It should be enough to bring down the beast.

A voice dragged him from his shot. "That's my catch! Back off!" A man in raggedy clothes said. He stood with a hunting rifle in his hands, aiming it at Max.

Max slowly lowered his crossbow. He could feel his rage slowly boiling under his skin. If this man was the cause of him losing dinner tonight, there was no telling what he would do.

"Easy there. We can…. Split it." Max replied.

"Yeah, nice try freak. In this world, it's eat or be eaten. And people like me eat. Understand?" The man asked as he stepped a couple of feet closer to Max.

Max could feel that this man was above turning over. That's why Max utilized the tricks he had learned over his time in the wasteland. As Max slowly placed the crossbow on the ground in an attempt to show submission, he grabbed some loose soil with his hand. Before the man realized what Max was doing, he threw it in the face of the hunter. Being stunned for a moment, Max launched at him and tackled him to the ground. He knocked the rifle out of his hand, before it could fire off a shot and scare away the deer.

Max couldn't get to the knife hidden in his MFP boots, and so he grabbed what was in reach. It was a wrench on his belt. The hunter struggled under him to escape, but Max only tightened his grip with his free hand. Max then began swinging the wrench and hitting the hunter in the head. The first swing only stunned the hunter for a few seconds.

The second drew blood from the hunter's mouth. As Max was about to swing a third time, the hunter spat in Max's face. Max swung again, and heard something crack under the impact of the wrench. With a final blow, the man under him went limp. Max made sure he was dead before crawling off him.

When Max went over to his crossbow, he had to breathe heavily in order to steady his breath. He counted himself as lucky when he saw the Radstag still sipping water from the pond. He once again lined up his shot once he could aim properly again. His finger slowly squeezed the trigger of the crossbow until it fired the arrow away. Silent and deadly, the Radstag never knew what hit it, it stumbled around confused, and tried to take off, but left behind a blood trail.

Max followed the trail after looting the hunter and throwing his rifle over his shoulder. The trail went further into the woods, and Max hoped he wouldn't encounter any wild life that would make bringing his meat back hard. Seems like that was a request heard by the higher being in power as he found the Radstag on the ground, whimpering as its energy slowly drained. Its two heads slowly looking up at him as he took out his knife.

He put the creature out of its misery. It became quiet in the woods, the only noise being the wind echoing in the trees, correction, the dead trees. Still, actually seeing trees, dead or not, was quite a welcoming change. He began preparing what he could to be taken back to the house. He couldn't skin it out here. He needed to do it in a safe place. This was too open, and the hunter from before only confirmed that theory.

It took him some time to bring the dead animal back home. He dragged it on a rug to get it back, through the dense forest and back towards his house. He felt his energy being drained with each step, and was really looking forward to getting back. That's why he was less than pleased when he saw the robot hanging around his front door.

"Good afternoon mister! Did your hunt go well?" Codsworth asked in his usual exited voice.

"What do you think?" Max asked sarcastically while dragging his prey along. Though it was hard to tell from his gruff voice.

"I see you caught yourself a big one! I do believe it is season as well!" Codsworth remarked. "Can I interest you in some tea?" Codsworth asked further, being way too close in Max' personal space.

"Bugger off." Max said as he went inside and slammed the door shut. Leaving Codsworth out in the open.

"I know that feeling when you just need a little privacy. I hope to see you for tea one day! Have a good day!" Codsworth said as a final note before leaving Max alone.

 _Dumb robot._ Was all Max could think as he began the process of draining the animal of its blood.

* * *

The day was turning out horrible, no, that wasn't the right word for it. In fact, there were no words to describe what had just happened. Jessica had gone into the vault prepared for the future, or at least as prepared as you can be with a 5 minutes notice. Nate and Shaun had followed her there, and she thought everything was going to be alright.

But it didn't, and she had a hard time grasping what was going on at the moment. It didn't help that Codsworth seemed to be in denial at the state of the world. Shaun was gone, and Nate was dead. Still frozen in the fridge they left him in. She wanted to cry, to let out all the emotion that had been built up.

She managed to shake some sense into Codsworth, and while he hadn't seen Shaun, or anyone else for that matter, it was still an improvement. They searched some of the houses, but it was fruitless. Whoever took Shaun is long gone now, and Jessica didn't know what to do. That's why she sat down on the pavement and just took a moment to... Deal with it all.

What the fuck was she supposed to deal with it? It all happened so quick, right in front of her eyes. While she was powerless to do anything about it. She wanted to cry for hours on end, but she also felt some wrath flow through her. She wanted to take her gun and just go out there. Kill everyone that would get in her way.

But alas, she took a moment to breathe, keep the tears at bay and try her best to come up with some sort of plan. Everything she had, had been ripped from her in such a short time: Nate, Shaun, their lives, her career. Nothing was left, but this sorry excuse for a world.

"Excuse me, Miss Jessica. But you can try asking the mister living down in the Anderson's household. I haven't gotten his name yet, but he might have seen something." Codsworth broke in and said. Jessica looked up at Codsworth. Her tears were still close to spilling over.

Still, currently it was her best shot. The man might have seen something, and it was the only lead at the moment. She just hoped he would be friendly and helpful. With her weak legs, she carried herself over to the Anderson household. She and Nate had never really spoken much with them before the war, but most people in sanctuary knew each other by name.

Most of the houses were close to collapsing, and rust seemed to be the new dominant color nowadays. It was sad to see this place in such despair. It used to be beautiful, and a piece of the American dream. Funny how things have a habit of turning in a matter of seconds. The Anderson household looked a bit better than the rest of the houses.

Jessica took notice of the car in the garage. It had a huge engine, standing all the way out of the hood. It looked like a muscle car, and was a lot different from all the rusty shells that used to be cars around here. There were signs around the house; most of them read "STAY OUT" or something similar.

Jessica heard someone inside the house, and noticed that the door was open. It was probably late afternoon, or early evening at this point. But inside the house, darkness dominated, mostly from the boarded up windows. A couple of candles lit up the room, where she noticed the man in question. He was butchering an animal.

He wore leather pants, his boots seemed to reach the mid-section of his calves. His jacket hung by the door, also made of leather. There were blood drops on his cotton shirt, though he didn't seem to mind. Jessica didn't know what to think of this new world, but she realized people were probably less than friendly, so she kept her gun ready. It had been quite a while since she last used a gun. The last time was probably with Nate at the gun range. She noticed his gun, which seemed to be a sawn-off hunting shotgun, sitting neatly in a leather holster on his right thigh.

God, she couldn't handle thinking about Nate right now. How easily he had been ripped from her world. A single gunshot. The man seemed to notice her presence, and turned around to address whatever was in his doorway.

"What do you want?" he asked. His voice was raspy and gruff. He didn't seem like the type that spoke a lot.

"Have you-" Jessica was close to letting out her emotions at this point. To sink down to the ground and cry out against the universe for doing all this to her. But she held it back. "...-Seen my son?" She finally asked, her voice was quiet.

He looked at her like she just asked a really dumb question, and certainly to the wrong person. His eyes were blue, and his hair and beard were unruly. "Mind your own troubles! I haven't seen your boy. Get out!" He said, once again, the tone was gruff and rough.

"Please, I need-" She tried to make a plead for help, but he drew his sawn off and pointed it at Jessica.

"I can't help you. Get OUT!" He yelled, and she knew it probably wouldn't turn out in her favor if she stayed. She went out, and heard the door slam right as she exited.

"Don't worry Miss Jessica. You can try Concord. I heard that there were still some people there. Although they might not be so friendly." Codsworth remarked. He was still hoovering by the sidewalk.

"There are people in Concord?" She asked, almost hopeful.

"Yes, there are several. They might be able to help you." Codsworth replied. Jessica felt herself being struck by newfound energy and quickly thanked Codsworth for the information. She looted some of the houses to try and find more ammo for her pistol. She had a feeling that she would need it later on.

She didn't know it, but Max kept an eye on her through his window. He was weary of this new threat. It had been peaceful here, and now she ruined the quiet alongside that robot of hers. She was looking for her son, and somewhere deep down in his twisted heart, he hoped she would find him. But Max knew the dangers out there, and there was a high chance she would never see the boy again.

What he really hoped for was that she would leave him alone. If they had to split up the city in two, so be it. But he wanted to be left alone, and certainly not be surprised like he was when she showed up in his doorway.

Jessica found some more ammo, and medicine that could prove useful in what was to come. She bid farewell to Codsworth and began to walk over the bridge that would lead her to Concord. Max thought she was foolish, taking a stroll like she did, but it was her funeral. Certainly not a burden for him, unless you ask the voices.


	5. Chapter 5: New friends?

_**A /N: Hey guys!**_

 **I'm sorry this story hasn't been updated in over a month. I have been busy, and I had trouble figuring out how I wanted the chapter to be. I have not, I repeat, I have not given up on the story.**

 **Please enjoy the chapter! And please give a bit of feedback!**

Max had gone to sleep that night feeling more than a little annoyed. If he thought the robot was annoying before, he was in for a whole new level. It seemed to be even more lively with its owner returned. It kept coming back to his house, and Max was on the verge of shooting it and making a toaster out of its scrap.

Max did the chores around his homestead. He mostly made sure it wouldn't fall apart during the next storm, which would be sure to come any day now. Max almost made sure his car was always ready to go, should some super mutants ever come knocking and force him to flee.

Max had probably, in some way, come to accept that this place would never bring true peace. But, the fact that it was more quiet than most places he would ever find. And, this place had some feeling of belonging. He don't know when it started, but he started to consider this place his own. Safe for the robot, there had been no one around to argue with him.

Max had expected her to get killed out there, probably by some big bug or a band of raiders. She was as green as grass when it came to the unforgiving wastes. Still, she pulled through. She was tougher than Max expected, and he gave her credit deep down. He did not, however, like the choice to have more people settle here. Max knew he had to make his position known to the newcomers.

Max grabbed his sawn-off and walked down the street until he found where they hanged out. They were by the garage in the run-down house in the middle of the street. There were 5 of them. Jessica was speaking with a dark-skinned man with a long trench coat and an ugly hat. They all turned their attention to Max, who stood with his sawn-off in his hands, observing them.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Max voice was raspy as usual, but it served good for intimidating against the new folk.

"We seek shelter." The dark skinned man replied. Max observed his face, looking for any indication that he may he lying, or had any other motive.

"You won't find it here. This is my spot." Max said, taking a step forward.

"Oh yeah? And where is that written? There is plenty of room here!" The man stepped up. Max had suspected he would step down.

"Who are you?" Max asked. He kept his grip tight on his sawn-off. Ready to spill blood to protect what was his.

"Preston Garvey. Commonwealth minuteman." Preston answered. Max had heard of them, through the trader he would sometime deal with. They weren't anything serious, at least not anymore.

"Why don't you go play hero somewhere else? I don't need you here." Max remarked.

"These folk need a place to stay! You can't claim an entire town for yourself." Preston shot back. Max raised his sawn-off and pointed it at Preston. Preston was quick to raise his own weapon against Max.

"Stop it!" Jessica demanded and entered in between them. "Preston has a point. You have no right to deny these people shelter. You can go back and live in that house if you want, but let this people survive." She stood in front of the sawn-off. Almost close enough to see the end of the barrels.

Max was so close to pulling the trigger, but somewhere deep down. He saw himself reflected in her. That pain, he knew it too well. The standoff lasted for several minutes, but it felt like hours. Finally Max lowered his weapon and put it back into his holster. "Fine." He said and left, hurrying back to his house before he had to deal with anymore of that shit. He locked the door behind him.

* * *

Jessica sighed in relief as Max lowered his weapon. Perhaps there was hope for him left. But, she didn't have time to think about that now. Preston and the others seemed equally pleased with the outcome. They have had enough killing for today.

The day had been long for her. She went to concord in search of people, but she found much more than that. Helping them felt like the right thing to do, even when she had her own troubles. Shaun still dominated her mind, but she knew it would be fruitless to simply walk out of there alone. She decided to help them get set up in Sanctuary. They were barely surviving. They had suffered, just as she had.

"Your kid, he is out there." Mama Murphy comforted Jessica. A small tear escaped Jessica's eye as she thought about her boy, alone out there. "Your best bet would be diamond city. But it's far, and the road is dangerous. You should not go alone." Mama Murphy added.

"I understand. Thank you." Jessica replied. She needed some sort of plan. The ideal situation would have her take Preston with her on her mission. But, he was far to busy protected the people here. He had an unspoken obligation, and she could understand that.

It was in that moment, she remembered the car parked over by the stranger's house. He had been less than friendly, and nowhere near talkative. But, it was her best shot. She had to convince him some way. It would be the easiest path. The car was built to survive in a wasteland like this, and he seemed to know his way around.

She tried to form some sort of plan in her head. But, it turned to something else. She still haven't properly grieved for-…. For Nate. He was still down there, frozen as ever. It was close to night time, and she figured she would help set up some place to sleep for them, before heading to sleep herself. She managed to find enough soft pillows and something to lay on for all of them. They were grouped together in the same building.

Jessica visited her old house. She walked through the mess that the nuclear holocaust left in its wake. Everything was out of place, although Codsworth had made a real attempt to keep it in order. When she entered Shaun's room, she broke down crying. She probably spent hours on the floor as a sobbing mess. She fell asleep at some point, probably due to exhaustment.

The morning sun woke her up. She was still on the floor. Her body felt weak. She managed to stand, but only barely as she moved out of the room. The others were already awake, and they were hard at work turning the place into something livable. Jessica wasn't sure if that was possible, but it was probably worth a shot.

Sturges gave her some purified water. She greedily drank it. She still felt tired, but mostly she felt lost. She didn't know what to do. She heard tales about Diamond city, and she wasn't sure what to think yet. She would draw her opinion when she would arrive there.

"Good morning." Preston greeted her as he sat down beside her.

"Morning." She replied. Her voice was a bit hoarse, probably after all the crying she did yesterday.

"I wanted to thank you for all you have done so far. Helping us every part of the way. It really….. It really means a lot to me, and to the others as well. Even if they don't say it." Preston remarked.

"It's alright." She said. Her mind still lingered on what to do. She always had a plan before. Her career as a lawyer called for it. But now, she…. She didn't know.

"You asked about the minutemen before, let me tell you what happened." Preston said as he noticed she wasn't really in the mood for talking about her own problems. He explained what happened to the minutemen, how it all fell apart. He also expressed his views about the world, and his hopes for the future.

"Hope is about all I have left. The minutemen are a piece of the past for most people. But, I think there is a way to bring them back." Preston remarked.

"How so?" Jessica asked out of curiosity.

"People need hope, and they want to feel safe. If we help people out, they will be more willing to help out themselves. Kindness creates kindness and all that. But I can't do it, though….. I think you can." Preston admitted.

"Me? How come?" Jessica asked confused.

"Everything you have done so far speaks volumes. You helped us in concord, you had your own issues to deal with, and yet you helped us. You could have left us, but you helped us relocated back here. Your selfless actions are what we need." Preston preached.

"I don't know… I have to find my boy, I have to find Shaun." Jessica replied.

"I know, and we can help. The more people that join, the better your chances of finding him will be. " Preston was pressing the issue.

"I guess that's true….. Fine, I'll help you." Jessica finally said. In her heart, she knew it was the right choice.

"That's the way mum!" Codsworth cheered from the sideline, and Jessica cracked a smile at it. He was such a lovable robot.

"Thank you! With you in charge, there is hope yet for us. I have the location of some farmers who called on the minutemen for help. If you want to help out, go speak with them. It would be the first hard step in the path of getting the minutemen back together." Preston smiled and patted her on the back.

Jessica didn't know where to put her priorities. She would do this favor for the minutemen, and then she would try to talk that stranger into lending her a hand. There must be some way to get him on board. Some way to strike a deal, if kindness doesn't work.

* * *

Max had overheard the conversation between the two. He couldn't help but think about how naive they were sounding. Kindness creates kindness? It hasn't been like that in... in a long time. She would get herself killed out there. It didn't matter to him, of course. That's the way it is. But, he wouldn't be dragged down by her, certainly not now.

Max did his morning routine, as he did every morning. The small well he had set up was working nicely. But, he noticed something was off. Someone had used it, it was clear. It wasn't how he left it. Rage boiled in him. How dare they? This was his place, it certainly wasn't for them to take. He quickly walked over to their HQ to demand answers, or at least put a stop to it.

He marched right up the nearest fella, and quickly pinned him down to the ground. "What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Max asked in a harsh tone.

"What are you talking about?" The man asked back as he struggled to breathe with the extra weight on his chest.

"One of you took water from my well this morning." Max clarified.

"We didn't know it was yours." He replied, still trying to breathe.

"Don't. Get your own well." Max demanded. "Is that clear?" He asked.

"Crystal." The man answered. Max removed himself from him and walked back. He was already in a bad mood now, and didn't want to parley with any of the others. They just shot him a nasty look as he went back.

Max began to prepare some meat for himself as he made sure to check his surroundings. Max had been uneasy ever since they came and settled here. He was certain that this place was more of a target than it was before.

It was early the next morning when he saw her coming back. She had blood stains all over her blue jumpsuit, but he noticed that she had gotten some armor. Leather by the looks of it. Max overheard Preston thanked her. So, she had really gone and done it? She was tougher than Max thought. But, it didn't matter. This wasteland broke even the toughest.

The rest of the day, she helped out with building. He even saw her planting some seeds in the backyard of the house. She was pretty handy with a hammer; they even got their own well. Max couldn't believe he kept getting distracted by them…. By her.

The day after, sometime in the night, she knocked on his door again. He truly thought she might be illiterate, since she showed no reaction to all the signs he had put up. But, Max decided to indulge her. He didn't know why, but he heard her out.

"Well, I know we aren't on the best of terms. But, I need your help. Can you…. Give me a ride to diamond city? It will be quick in your car." She pleaded.

"No."


	6. Chapter 6: Constant headache

**A /N: Hey fellas. Just wanted to say I** **'m sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out, things have been rather busy for me. On a side note, I have a discord server for those who are interested. We discuss story writing, post memes and have a good time. Come join me:** **discord .gg / F578759**

* * *

"What? Why?" Jennifer quickly asked, persisting on trying our Max's patience level, which was fading rapidly.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Max bitterly replied, returning his attention to the matter at hand.

"You can't be serious!" Jennifer snapped. Max' anger was beginning to boil over.

"Don't you have loved ones? My SON is out there! And he is in great danger." She went on. Max finally looked at her again.

"Someone has to say it, so I will. There is a good chance your son is dead, or adopted into some mad raider party. Either way, he isn't coming back." Max explained.

"How do you know this? Boston is a big place! He could be alive!" Max sighed as Jennifer kept up the pressure.

"What are you basing that on, huh? The word of a drug using grandma?" He snapped. He took a moment to breathe and put himself in her shoes. He knew the pain involved, and that's why he turned it down a notch.

"Why would you even want me to take you? You don't know me." Max asked.

"You are my best bet. Please….." She replied.

"No… The place out there-" He pointed outside. "-Is not a playground. It's a free ticket to the graveyard." He snarled. She looked complexed for a moment, several times she tried to get some words out that refused to leave her throat. Max went back to begin cooking the rabbit he had caught earlier.

"I'll pay you!" She said, it came sudden and Max slowly looked at her.

"With what?" Max asked.

"Whatever you want! Please! I'm begging you!" She almost cried.

"What makes you think there is something worthwhile out there to risk my life and limps after finally finding peace?" He asked, anger beginning to find its way into his voice. She thought about that for a minute or two, before snapping her fingers.

"Fuel!" She proclaimed. "Fuel is hard to come by. If you help me, I'll help you get some fuel." She promised.

"And where would you get fuel?" He pressed. She was quiet, her eyes twitching. Max caught it, but anyone with less of a trained eye wouldn't have spotted it.

"I know of a secret storage space. It was hidden before the war. Give me a ride, and it's all yours." She held out her hand. A gesture to seal the deal.

"A secret storage space of fuel?" Max had a hard time believing it, but he needed the fuel. His generator was beginning to run low. His car had enough to make it to diamond city and back, but it was his last full tank.

"Yes, but only if you see me safe to diamond city. That's my offer." She was still holding out her hands. Max wiped the oil from his hands and shook her hand.

"Okay, you show me this fuel, and I'll drive you there." Max said.

"No, it is my insurance." She replied.

"And what of mine?" He asked. He caught her off guard there.

"You have a lawyer's word." She remarked. A lawyer? His mind scrambled to remember what that was. Imagine of people in a suit, standing in a court house came to mind, defending or accusing people. Then his mind snapped to a still picture of goose, burned after Johnny the Kid escaped. It was a lawyer that got him out of there.

"In my opinion, a lawyer isn't the most reliable person." Max added.

"I swore an oath on the constitution! I would be breaking my livelihood if I did not see my word through." She defended herself pretty well, but then again, it was what she was trained for. He got closer, and looked her deep in the eyes.

"I have killed people for less. If you don't give me what I want, finding your son will be the least of your worries." Max threaten, but to her credit, she did not even change the look in her eyes.

"I will keep my word. Just take me to diamond city." She promised.

"Not like that. We need to get you sorted out. You need to be able to defend yourself out there." Max replied.

"I know how to defend myself! Nate-" The name made her throat swell up"-…. I've had training. I can handle myself." She clarified.

"We'll see about that. Come with me."

* * *

Max was leaning against a wall, watching over Jennifer trying to hit a small can with a rifle. He looked mighty unimpressed by the whole ordeal, and spend the time picking apart a mutfruit, and slowly eating pieces of it. Jennifer on the other hand, was getting more and more frustrated by the shots that kept missing.

"FUCK!" She yelled as the gun gave a click sound, signaling the bullets had run out. "How can it be so hard?" She asked, but quickly reminded herself that the man was not known for answering her questions.

"You are standing wrong, and you are holding the gun wrong." He replied, surprising her that he actually used his voice.

"Then how am I supposed to stand? Can you answer me that?" She asked in a very frustrated voice.

To her surprise, he did. He positioned her legs, arms and the way she held the rifle correctly. Although it was borderline uncomfortable to be touched like that, she realized that she needed the training. He mumbled instructions throughout the whole thing. Things she had to do, and things she shouldn't do.

"Go ahead." He finally said. She puffed out some air in his face and then took a deep breath, another one of his instructions, and lined up her shot. To her surprise, she hit the can. She wanted to cheer in that moment, but Max had the same dead look on his face, so she decided against that. She took a few more shots, and although not all were perfect, she had the technic down.

"Okay, keep trying. We leave the day after tomorrow. I drop you off at Diamond city, and you give me the gasoline storage unit." He said.

"Fine." She replied. Max nodded, and left. "Hey!" She called out, Max promptly turned around to address her with a ' _what do you want_ ' look.

"What's your name?" She asked. It had dawned on her, that she had never heard what his name was.

"Does it really matter?" He asked back, and she looked puzzled for a moment.

"It would be kinda nice to know if I had to call out for you." She remarked.

"You won't need to do that." He replied, and then left. "Fucking jerk." She mumbled under her breath as he walked out of sight.

* * *

"Are you certain about going with him? He doesn't seem very….. Stable, if you will." Preston asked, the camp fire still going strong. They had just eaten, as quite a few people had retired for the night. They were still hard at work restoring the houses into something livable. They were making progress.

"He is the only one with a car. At the end of the day, he is my best bet." She answered.

"Doesn't seem very trust-worthy, that's all I'm saying." Preston remarked.

"I hear you. I made him a deal, and he accepted. All I can hope for is that it will be smooth sailing, but that's a pipe dream, isn't it?" She asked.

"I'm afraid it is. I wish I could tell you things are better out there, but humanity never recovered. Sometimes it's hard to know what is worse, the wildlife, or the people. Be careful, okay? Keep that flare gun close to you, and fire it if you need help." Preston said.

"We'll see what happens. Hopefully, I won't need it." She said, and warmed her hands against the fire. "I look forward to seeing you again, and I hope you make something of this place." She said. Preston laughed.

"They are working hard enough to turn it around. And we really appreciate all the help you have given us. Clean water, food, and security. If you keep it up, it might just become a stable settlement." He replied.

"I'm looking forward to it." She smiled.

"What will you do once you get to diamond city?" Preston asked.

"Not sure. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I'm guessing that someone has to know something." She replied. He nodded.

"Good luck." He said.

"Thanks."

* * *

The day came sooner than she expected. She was getting ready, though she didn't feel prepared to take it all on, she knew that time was a luxury she couldn't afford right now. She had gone to his house, and waited for him to exit it. She double checked her weapon, and made sure it was loaded and working as it should. He finally came out, with some clothes in one hand. He threw it to her, she caught it, but looked at him confused.

"Put it on." He requested, but it was more of an order.

"Why?" She asked stubbornly.

"Because vault dwellers don't have the best reputation out there, and you stick out like a sore thumb." He quickly replied. She was about to argue with him, but she knew the blue probably wouldn't help her in the long run. She changed in the house as he checked the car for any faults. As she threw the hood over her head, she heard the roar of the car. It was a powerful car, no doubt about it. Probably made to withstand the tough conditions of the wasteland.

She walked out, and threw her bag with whatever tools she had scavenged in the trunk of the car. He looked on with mild disinterest as he cleaned up the passenger seat. It was only then she noticed that the driver's seat was in the wrong side. She was confused about this, but decided to not comment on it. Instead, she tried to remember which countries used to drive in the other side of the road.

"Stick close, and keep quiet." He mumbled as he pulled down the brake lever. The car slowly rolled out of the drive way and began to make its way out of the settlement. The few people there waved at her, they had all wished her good luck, in one way or another.

He was a skilled driver. He began to pick up speed as they came out of city bounds and onto the open road. The roads had been damaged in the opening days of the war, but the car could not care less. Surprisingly smooth, but the car could do with a good cleaning, but then again, what couldn't nowadays.

There were several times she wanted to talk, but she kept reminding herself that he was not the talkative type. He kept to himself, and kept driving. She got to see the ruins of the world she once knew. Things were falling apart. He didn't care about any of it. She theorized he was probably just like most other survivors, not really caring about what the world used to be.

Sometimes, she would see things from the car window. Like giant bugs, raider or big green men. Sometimes, the man she was driving would drive over a bug. She still had trouble wrapping her head about it all, Boston used to be a nice place to live. Now, it looked more like a nightmare. She sighed as she leaned her head against the window.

Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep; her dreams were haunted by the faces of both Nate and her son, Shaun. Ever since she woke up from the icebox, the nightmares she had would involve them. Every night. She awoke as they rode into Boston. The moon was high in the sky, and it was quite dark outside. The man mumbled something about not turning on the lights due to the possibility that they would attract unwanted attention.

They only payed half attention to what happened, her own mind was too focused on how she should get Shaun back. She tried to make some sort of game plan, but she didn't know anyone, she didn't know where to begin. She was interrupted by the sudden brake of the car, that almost sent her flying through the window.

"What the hell was that?" She yelled at him. He hushed her, and she quickly did as he requested.

"It's an ambush." He whispered. She got a lump in her throat and tried to shallow it. He turned on the front light, and low and behold, one of those big green men stood in front of them. She felt Max turn the gear into reverse, and try to haul ass back the way they came. Only these fuckers were smarter than they look. They boxed them in, cut off their escape route.

She looked at Max, and saw him with a very focused look on his face, but also a hint of anger. Probably from the fact that they were caught in the gutter. Once again, he changed gears. He speeded right into one of the green men in front of them, almost sending him flying. She heard a shot ring out, and could tell by the hissing that a tire had been shot. They descended upon the car, and began to smash the hood.

Max popped his door open and pulled out his shotgun in one swift movement. He fired, and managed to get one of them off his car. Jessica followed suit, and took her 10mm pistol and began unleashing hell upon the green men. One of them took a swing at Max as he tried to reload, but the man was quick on his feet. He rolled to the side, and pulled out his knife.

Jessica didn't see the whole ordeal. But, she heard the crack sound of a skull. Next thing she knew, the big fucker was on the ground. She emptied her clip into another one, but the fucker kept coming towards her. She could tell she had broken one of its arms, but it wasn't enough. Just as the green man attempted to grip her, a loud shot was heard. There was ringing in her ears as the big green man fell over. Max quickly took her by the wrist and pulled her towards an alley. The green men retreated to lick their wounds.

She took a moment to catch her breath against the wall, but before she knew it, she was pinned against the very same wall by Max. His face showed boiling anger, and he was tightening his grip on her throat, she began to struggle for air.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" He yelled in her face, and she tried to give a response, but air took priority. She felt herself get weaker, and black began to form in the corners of her eyes. Before she passed out, she was released. She fell ass first on the ground, her back leaning against the wall still. She took deep breaths, trying to balance it out.

Max kicked a dumpster, and yelled several things she couldn't make out. "I should kill you." He said as he pointed a finger at her.

"I didn't do this!" She fired back.

"You got me out here! You are the reason I am standing here!" He was angry, that much was clear. And his point was compelling. She felt it was best she remained quiet for a little while. Max kept punching random stuff in the alley way.

"Look, I'm sorry." She finally said.

"You better fucking be. You ain't going anywhere until that car can run again. And that fuel better be by the thousands." He replied, voice still carrying anger.

"I'll help you. Come with me to diamond city." She offered.

"No fucking way." He quickly answered.

"It's the only fucking way! You can get your help there! And I can get my son!" She said. Max didn't reply for a long time, it was clear he was thinking about it. Sometime later, she finally got her answer.

"You better not run from me, because I will find you." He threatened.

"It's a deal then." She replied.


End file.
